"All right, I will. Might as well go that way as any other," the man added to Jed, as they started along the highway. "Haven't you any particular place to go?" "No, I'm just sort of waiting for something to turn up. I've about made up my mind to get back to the gold country. I heard of some new strikes they were making in Montana, and I've a sort of fever in my blood to get there." With Jed asking questions, and the old miner giving in answer considerable information about the Western mining country, the two trudged along until they reached the Crosby farm. "Won't you come in, and have some dinner?" asked Jed, as Will came out to the gate with the bridle. "It's 'most twelve o'clock, and you'll be very welcome. You did us quite a service in helping us to get the horse back. It would have meant a lot to dad to lose him." "Oh, pshaw! I didn't do anything. But, if you don't mind, I'll sit down and have a bite. It's sort of lonesome, eating all alone beside the road." "And you promised to tell me how you lost your gold that you dug," said Jed. "Did I? Well, I don't remember that I did. Still, if you'd like to hear what a foolish man I was, I won't mind telling you." CHAPTER IV A CURIOUS STORY While the old miner was standing at the gate, with the two brothers, Mr. Crosby came out of the house. "Here is the man who helped us find Pete, father," said Will. "I'm glad to meet you, sir," responded the farmer heartily, extending his hand. "Won't you come in?" "I just invited him to dinner, dad," spoke Jed. "That's right. Come in, Mr.--er----" "Harrison, Gabriel Harrison, though my pardners and the boys used to call me Gabe. I'm much obliged to you, I'm sure, for your invitation." "We don't often see strangers out this way," went on the farmer. "I understand you are a miner." "I used to be, but I'm not much of anything now. I've been prospecting around here lately, looking for something to turn up, but it doesn't seem to be going to. Pretty dry around here, isn't it, Mr. Crosby?" "Entirely too much so. I don't know what I'm going to do about my crops if we don't get rain soon." Gabe Harrison looked up at the sky. The sun seemed to be blazing down as hot as ever. The old miner glanced to the various points of the compass. Then he leaned over and gravely felt of his left foot. "What's the matter? Got a stone bruise?" asked Mr. Crosby. "No, but I've got a very sensitive corn. It's as good as a barometer. It's beginning to hurt like all possessed, and I shouldn't be surprised if we had a rain storm soon. It always aches as it does now, just before a storm." "Doesn't it bother you at other times?" asked Jed with a smile. "Not at all. I think we're going to have rain." "I certainly hope so," remarked Mr. Crosby. "But you'd better come in now. My wife and daughter have dinner all ready, and I know the women folks don't like to be kept waiting when everything's on the table."